


All the promises I made

by Del (goddessdel)



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: And I'm told a few painful feels, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Minisode: Rain Gods, PWP, Well references to Rain Gods anyway, and inspiration from it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-26
Updated: 2014-06-26
Packaged: 2018-02-06 06:35:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1848046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goddessdel/pseuds/Del
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He promised River every night and he meant it. All of hers and all of his.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All the promises I made

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "Lost in Paradise" by Evanescence.
> 
> Thanks to Becs, Megs and Charina for betaing. There was a bit of a tie-breaker required, so I take full blame for whichever of their lovely suggestions I didn't listen to or fiddled with after the fact.
> 
> Written: 9/25/13-6/25/14

He promised River every night and he meant it. All of hers and all of his. They're never in the right order, of course. Half the time it's not even night. But none of that matters.

 

Even after she's - even _after_. He finds her, every night. Some younger version. And they go gallivanting across the universe together, hand in hand.

 

For River and the Doctor, every night is date night.

 

All right, so technically some of the dates go a bit - awry. When one is married a couple of hundred years and all of time and space are options there are bound to be a few duds.

 

Occasionally someone tries to sacrifice them. There's never any real danger. Well, almost never. Well, they've only really been close to being lit on fire (or skewered or shot or hung or walked off the plank) fifteen, no eighteen times, tops.

 

The crackle of the vortex manipulator fills the console room - the unique static signature of River unlocking the TARDIS incorporeally. "I was lying in my bunk, jotting down my notes about the Xulan Temple on Orion Prime, and I had a craving for those little blue dumplings from the 43rd century. There's a lovely little shop tucked away on Orion Nine." River grins at him unrepentantly, one hip cocked. "Fancy a bite?"

 

The Doctor recalls the Xulan temple fondly - both in its prime and when they dug it up. He beams back at River, leaning into her space. "Ooh - the ones with the little red bits in the center?"

 

"Mmm," River nods, her hands running along the buttons of his coat. "Hello, sweetie."

 

"Hello, dear."

 

They're closing the distance between them before the greetings even pass their lips, and his ends slightly muffled against her skin. He has no complaints.

 

The Doctor draws River closer, and she slides her hands under his coat, one wiggling under his waistcoat while the other takes a firm grip on his arse and tugs him forward. He runs his hands over River's curves, placing her in her time stream from her outfit, the exact ratio of her hips to her waist, and her comments about Xulan. Not too young then - quite a bit into her sentence actually. Good, that means he can - the Doctor backs River into the console and hoists her onto it, his mouth trailing down to nip at her cleavage. River grinds against him and moans, and the Doctor pulls back abruptly.

 

They are both flushed and breathing heavy, four heartbeats echoing loudly against the background hum of the TARDIS. River's legs tighten around the Doctor's waist as one of her hands starts to undo the buttons of his waistcoat. The Doctor finds himself drawn back to her lips, managing to murmur, "I thought we were going out," between desperate kisses.

 

River disentangles them and slips out from between him and the console with practiced ease. "If you insist, Doctor," she winks, "I'll drive - we don't want a repeat of last time, now do we?"

 

The Doctor slumped against the console, trying to will away a hunger that has nothing to do with food and everything to do with his wife. When he recovers enough, he hovers anxiously over her shoulder as she flies the TARDIS, grumbling, "It was your idea."

 

River just pecks him on the cheek as she breezes around the console, eyes wide and scandalized. "We have a date, Doctor."

 

He catches her on the next pass, arms wrapping loosely around her waist. "We'll get to the date. Later."

 

"You're insatiable," River laughs, somehow chiding him even though she is clearly delighted, already spinning in his arms and melting into him.

 

"Mmm," the Doctor agrees, distracted by nibbling on her earlobe, "only for you, dear."

 

"Aren't I a lucky girl?"

 

He's steering her back to their bedroom. Oh, it's terribly reckless, having her on the same TARDIS as Clara. Usually he picks her up while Clara is safely tucked away at the Maitlands. He should spin them off into the vortex and get River off the TARDIS immediately. But, maybe if they hide away in their bedroom... his feet are walking them there even while his mind is still nominally protesting.

 

River is not exactly helping steer, which is grossly negligent on her part. She's too busy pushing him up against corridor walls and snogging him utterly senseless while she strips off his coat. That's almost as far as they get, his hands sliding along her jodhpurs to her pert arse and her hands making quick work of his waistcoat.

 

But no, no - they can't - not here. Not with Clara on board, at least. The Doctor manages to lift his head from his wife's breasts, where he's been rather distracted. "Come on, River."

 

"I'm coming, Doctor," she breathes in that low, sex-laden voice that she usually reserves for when they're in bed together and she actually is...

 

They only make it past the wardrobe before they're distracted again. They're always desperate for each other, for those rare moments where they're alone and both far enough into their relationship to know that they're married. The Doctor tugs River into him, lifting her onto his clothed erection, and River accommodatingly shifts one leg over his hip. Somehow he's got her pressed into the wall this time. He's lost his bowtie and she's lost her gun belt. It is hardly the first time they've left a trail of clothing from the console room to their bedroom and really, the TARDIS might do this on purpose because he swears it was not that far on the schematics...

 

The Doctor's hands have River's blouse halfway unbuttoned before his mind catches up with them. He removes his hands from River's blouse and she heaves a sigh. "Not here," he says, catching her wandering hand in his own and dragging her down the hall with him.

 

River huffs and drags her heels, wrapping herself around him until her free hand can unsnap his braces and dip below the waistband of his trousers. The Doctor yelps and hurries them faster. River laughs, a positively wicked sound and one that has led to their arrest on more than one occasion. "Why, are my parents aboard?" The Doctor freezes at the mention of her parents and River mistakes his hesitation. "It would hardly be the first time they've caught us, sweetie."

 

The Doctor swallows the lump in his throat and keeps his voice light as he spins to catch both of River's hands in his, walking them backwards to their room and probably putting their lives at risk in the process. He's reasonably sure there are no trick corridors between here and their room, but it's possible he left the Tarantulan cage open last week and they really do not take kindly to being stepped upon. "Must I continually remind you that Rory possesses a sword?"

 

Shrugging unrepentantly, River deftly maneuvers them around the fountain. "Well, if Dad didn't eviscerate you after that time you had me tied to the bunk beds, I think you're safe."

 

He's blushing at the mere mention, which is convenient because it distracts River from the wistfulness in his eyes. He misses her parents dearly, even if River always managed to get him in trouble with them. "Spoilers," he chides.

 

"Hardly," River counters, "you were still in your regular tweed then. Now you're in the purple, which means you're _older_." She eyes him, still playful but with that intense gaze that reads him far too well. "And still worried we're going to get caught snogging in the hallway?"

 

They've finally reached their room. The Doctor mutters, "Spoilers," even though he doesn't really mean it. He doesn't want to think about the spoilers he's hiding from her now. Instead he grins, shutting the door firmly behind them and watching as River tugs off her blouse and bra mid-stride. "It would be a good sight more than snogging anyway."

 

"Oh, and what did you have planned, husband?" River reclines back on their bed in just her jodhpurs and boots, and says his title in a way that goes straight to his cock.

 

"Working up our appetite," he offers, distracted by trying to take off his remaining clothing as quickly as possible so that he can join River in their bed.

 

Unfortunately, River had yet to undo his cuffs, and he gets his shirt trapped around his wrists when he tries to fling it off. By the time he's rectified that little glitch, River is already bending to leisurely remove her boots.

 

"I'm positively ravenous already," she teases him, moving to peel her jodhpurs off her legs, and the Doctor gets distracted watching her.

 

Judging by the saucy smile River is giving him that had been rather the point. River never wears knickers under her jodhpurs - she claims they ride up - but all the Doctor knows is that River is now naked and waiting on him and that is an intolerable state of affairs.

 

So of course he tries to step out of his trousers before he's remembered to toe off his boots and nearly crashes to the floor in his attempt to detangle himself.

 

He scrambles to the bed, flopping back onto his side with a rather impressive bounce. River rolls her eyes, but the corners of her mouth turn up into a smile as she neatly pins him under her.

 

"You're in a good mood," her voice is warm and only a little surprised.

 

The Doctor bops her nose, grinning as she crinkles it just as always. "Of course I'm in a good mood. Why wouldn't I be? I'm in bed with my gorgeous wife."

 

It comes out as fast as he's thinking it, and River blushes at the compliment. She arches one eyebrow and pretends to be cross. "Oh, is that all I am? Your trophy wife?"

 

The Doctor's hands are already tracing across River's - frankly, stunning - body because he never seems to have any control over his limbs when River is involved. Especially not when she's practically on top of him and they're both very, very naked. "Of course not." They are almost nose to nose, their breaths mingling. "You're also brilliant and scarily good with guns and you're always leaping off things - which is not actually a compliment, so don't -"

 

"Oh, shut up," River breathes, closing the gap and kissing him, finally.

 

As a tactic to make him stop talking, it's astoundingly successful. But then again, River has always been resourceful.

 

His hands settle at her hips, dragging River fully atop him and - oh - it is such a glorious feeling to be all caught up in River. He doesn't know why his younger self ran from this for so long. Sure, there was a bit of a learning curve involved with anything concerning River, and he'd been maybe a bit rustier in some areas than others... but all that paled in comparison to the reality of all River's curves pressed against him in all the best ways.

 

River shifts until the slick flesh of her sex drags over his erection; she greedily swallows the needy whimper that escapes him. His hands clench around River's hips as his body rocks up to meet her teasing motions. They both break from their kiss with a strangled gasp of pleasure when the head of his cock presses inside River.

 

With a low hum of approval, River shifts her weight and slowly sinks down over him until he is fully sheathed in the blissful, throbbing heat of her. Her hips start to rock over his, quickly working up to a fast rhythm that leaves her breasts bouncing and her muscles rippling as she balances above him.

 

The Doctor loosens his grip, running his hands down and across the lithe muscles of her thighs. River is beauty and danger all wrapped up into one, and he always marvels that he is lucky enough to have this River, when she could just as easily break him in half. He doesn't know what he's ever done to deserve her - he'll spend the rest of his time trying to make it up to her.

 

River's hands press over his hearts, just hard enough for the weight to draw his focus into the moment. "With me, Doctor?"

 

"With you. Always," he promises, straining upwards to seal it with a kiss.

 

His hands continue their journey, stroking across River's sides and back before sliding home into her hair, his fingers twining through the unruly tresses.

 

River moans into his mouth as he cradles her head and kisses her firmly, his tongue dancing across hers before tracing across her teeth and the roof of her mouth. Her hips press urgently over his and he arches up to meet her stroke for stroke, the heat and pleasure building between them through steady thrusts.

 

She shifts so that her hands are pressed against the bed and her breasts are flush against his chest, their hearts echoing rapid beats over one another. The angle drags River's clit against him with every thrust, and her body starts to tremble over his.

 

The Doctor clutches River to him, his hands still buried in her hair. His hips strain up to meet River's as though he can somehow get even deeper inside her, and he swallows the soft keening noises she makes into his needy kisses.

 

River shatters above him with a moan, her hips stuttering against his as her body tenses and clutches at him. He thrusts her through it until she catches her rhythm again, her mouth parting regretfully from his. " _Doc-tor_ ," his name on her tongue is a needy whinge.

 

He wants to hear her make that low, lust-filled sound again. His eleventh body may generally lack coordination when walking, but he has found himself more than agile in the right scenario. What can he say - River inspires him to be a better man. The Doctor rolls them carefully, pressing River back into their bed before he answers. "Yes, dear?"

 

River gives him a fond look that says he's being smug again but she'll allow it, and he revels in the catch in her breath as she shifts and arches beneath him.

 

He bends to take her breast into his mouth, laving and sucking until her nipple is hard under his tongue and her moan is low and demanding. He switches to the other breast, lavishing it with the same attention and increasing the pace of his thrusts until it's River's turn to tangle her hands in his hair, her short nails biting into his scalp.

 

The Doctor slides his hand under River's thigh, pushing her leg up over his arm and moaning as he sinks further into her on the next thrust. He can feel her muscles fluttering around him, her moans glinting with that high, ragged edge that says he'll make her scream.

 

He shivers, dragging kisses up River's chest and neck until he can close his teeth over her earlobe and hear her breath hitch. He pulls back enough to whisper in her ear in that deep, rumbling voice River once admitted makes her knees weak, "Come on, sweetheart, let go."

 

River's moan is high and keening and desperate as their hips meet in hard, deep strokes. It's not quite enough though - not the sound he needs to hear.

 

He slides his free hand between them, circling his thumb hard over River's clit just as he presses back into her in a long, deep thrust. "Scream for me, my River."

 

She comes around him with a shuddering scream that echoes through their room and drags through him with a racing pleasure that makes his thrusts erratic against her. He manages two more desperate, shaky thrusts before he is burying his head in her neck to muffle his shout as he spills inside her, her name on his lips.

 

He collapses over her; both of them reduced to trembling limbs and hurried breaths as the warm, heavy glow of pleasure settles. As soon as the Doctor can move again, he rolls off to her side. He pillows his head on River's breast, where he can listen to the rapid beat of her hearts, and curls his body around her.

 

River hums contentedly, carding her fingers through his hair.

 

They lay like that while their bodies still and come down, caught up in a kind of peaceful bliss that the Doctor has never found anywhere except the safety of River's arms.

 

"So much for dinner," River muses softly, her voice scratchy and laced with a fond irritation that warms his old bones.

 

The Doctor stifles his giddy giggle by pressing a chaste kiss to her breast. "You know me, dear. I like to have my dessert first."

 

River groans. "That was terrible," but her voice is warm and pleased despite her chiding.

 

He shifts higher to catch her lips in a soft, languid kiss. "Oi - you love it, wife." _I love you_.

 

River's free hand settles over his, cupped carefully over her right heart. "Oh shut up, husband." And he can hear her _I love you_ in the way her fingers and lips slide across his.

 

The quiet never lasts, and this is no exception. She wiggles out from under him, dragging the Doctor with her and completely ignoring his grumbled protests. "Rude! I was comfortable."

 

"I'm not your pillow," River teases mildly, already headed toward the bath. "Besides, you never sleep and some of us actually are hungry."

 

The Doctor follows her easily enough. River dislikes bathing alone, and showering with River is never a spectator sport. He has a not so secret thing for washing her hair, determined that he will one day solve its mysteries while threading her curls through his fingers. The sight of her stretching and wandering through their room is more than enough to make him forget all about dinner a moment after she's mentioned it. She was right - he's insatiable for her.

 

...

 

They're really going about their date in completely the wrong order, and it's hardly the first time. By the time they make it out of the shower, certain appetites more than whetted, even the Doctor's stomach is growling.

 

It would take far too long to find their scattered clothing, so they spend a few minutes pulling on spares from the wardrobe. If the Doctor's hands linger across River's skin as he helps her with the zip to her dress, well, he can hardly be blamed.

 

There's no sign of Clara as they make their way to the console room. River teases him about his rush while the Doctor gathers up as much of their scattered clothing as he can find and shoves it in his pockets to deal with later. He lets River manage her gun belt, which she straps loosely over her evening gown with a twinkle in her eye that says she knows exactly how he feels about the combination while he frowns and pretends disapproval.

 

River has landed them perfectly, and they find the restaurant they wanted after only three wrong turns. The dumplings are just as spectacular as the Doctor remembered, though his opinion of them might be biased by watching the sinful sounds River makes as she eats them. They make it through three quarters of their meal before they're asked to leave, which is something of a personal best.

 

They spend the rest of their evening wandering through the markets and temples of Orion Nine. They even manage to stop an artifact smuggling ring when the Doctor accidentally trips over the wrong cart. He'll never admit it, but River's guns are quite handy when it comes to intimidation, and the matter is resolved without bloodshed and only a little running.

 

All and all, by the time River saunters out of the TARDIS with a final kiss and a wicked, "I'll phone you up next time I have a craving, Doctor," it's proven to be quite a successful date.

 

The Doctor dances his way back up to the console, already looking forward to their next date night. Once he gets Clara settled back at the Maitlands, he could probably skip forward, just a little...

  
Clara.

 

He's completely forgotten about Clara.

 

The Doctor slips across the floors and nearly tumbles back down the stairs in his haste to find her. He rounds the doorway and skids to an awkward halt to avoid bowling Clara over. She does not look pleased. The Doctor scratches nervously at his cheek and tries, "Good morning, Clara Oswald!"

 

Clara glares at him, looking adorably grumpy, though he wisely decides not to mention that fact. "Morning?! It's the middle of the day, or whatever passes for day on this ridiculous ship. I've been up for hours and the bloody door to my room wouldn't open. I told you - she doesn't like me!"

 

"I'm sure it was just a temporary glitch - perhaps your room was briefly in the pool and it wasn't safe to open the door." It's happened before, after all. Not recently, really, and that was possibly technically because he'd been fiddling with the schematics prior to the pool incident, but...

 

Something heavy and familiar quickly obscures his vision. The Doctor manages to free himself only to find that he's holding his own greatcoat.

 

Clara pins him under her gaze, and he blushes as the TARDIS buzzes laughingly around them. "I tripped over this in the corridor. Didn't actually know you had more than one. Care to explain why your coat was cast about on the way from the console room? If you've lit something on fire again, I ought to know! I heard banging and shouting!"

 

"No, no, nothing like that," the Doctor hastily reassures her, hands fidgeting under the spare garment as he fights a blush. "Just - err - well, I was a bit concerned I'd maybe stumbled into some tweed eating termites, so time was of the essence. Looks like I made it through unscathed, though better safe than sorry. When the TARDIS fumigates, well, best to avoid that, yeah?"

 

Clara gives him a look that says she can't decide if he's lost the plot or just making it up. But, though she still looks a little cross, she shrugs and makes her way past the Doctor and into the console room, demanding excitedly, "Well, what are we off to see today? It had better be amazing to make up for this morning."

 

"Amazing?! Pfft - let's go for indescribable - literally, there's a planet where the view is so stunning that it temporarily paralyzes your vocal cords. It actually renders you speechless!" The Doctor promises, mind already spinning out through the stars and ages. "There's no permanent damage - it's perfectly safe, really."

 

Clara rolls her eyes at him and turns to watch the view screen. "I'd prefer to keep my vocal cords, if it's all the same, thanks."

 

"Oh, live a little, Clara Oswald! But if you insist - oh, how about the water volcanoes of the 59th century?"

 

As soon as Clara's not looking, the Doctor offers the TARDIS a grateful pat. He receives a far too knowing hum in reply. The Doctor definitely owes the TARDIS a thorough painting in return for keeping that particular door locked.

 

Perhaps he can talk River into staying in and helping him for their date tomorrow night. His wife looks particularly stunning in TARDIS blue - especially when she's glaring at him for getting paint everywhere.

 

If he hurries Clara through the water volcanoes just a bit, he can hardly be blamed.

  
After all, he has a date to get to.

**Author's Note:**

> Charina has already demanded a sequel with the painting date. No promises, but I shall do my best to oblige.


End file.
